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If you’re like a lot of us, you probably have in your home a jar or a piggy bank filled with loose change. You empty your pockets each evening and give those pennies and dimes a toss into the jar until it gets full. Now, instead of rolling that coin, you can bring it to some of our banks to run it through a coin counting machine.

To use one of these machines, simply follow the instructions on the screen and dump your change onto the conveyor belt. The machine does all the sorting and counting! Then it prints a receipt which you can take to the tellers to receive your cash or have the funds deposited into your VCNB account.

This is a free service to VCNB customers. Anyone who does not have a VCNB account but who wishes to use the machine may do so for a five percent fee.

Small businesses are important to communities and running a small business is tough work. That’s why we feature a small business in one of our communities every month!

PBJ Connections provides professional behavioral health therapy for children, adults and families through horses, counseling and nature and is one of just a handful of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) providers Ohio.

Headquartered in Pataskala, PBJ has two full time employees in Holly Jedlicka, Executive Director, and Erica Lewis, Assistant Director. The organization contracts with licensed mental health therapists and trained equine specialists. Because they partner with four locations, the program works with upwards of 45 equines. Home base, though, is in rural Pataskala, an ideal location offering serenity and peace as well as ease of access from anywhere in central and eastern Ohio. This location houses nine horses and two donkeys.

PBJ Connections is operated by Executive Director Holly Jedlicka and Assistant Director Erica Lewis. They are pictured here with one of the horses they use as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy providers.

PBJ Connections is modeled after EAGALA model of therapy, which uses a team of a licensed mental health professional, an equine specialist, and the animal (horses or donkeys) for mental health therapy. The model follows a strict code of ethics, and contrary to popular misconceptions, the model is completely non-riding.

“Horses are honest and completely reactive to their environment 100 percent of the time,” Holly explained while referencing other common household pets. “Compare it to a dog or a cat – which make great pets, but they are natural predators that hunt, and there has to be a bit of deception in the hunt. Horses don’t have that; there is no deception. It’s immediate, honest feedback.”

Horses seek three things – “Safety, Comfort, and Companionship, in that order” she explained. So the response of the animal to the environment and the signals that are being presented by the client are key to the therapy sessions. “We get to observe the client’s interpretations of what they’re seeing and feeling from these animals,” Holly explained, before adding “The interpretation of the horse’s actions and demeanor are absolutely key to the experience.”

PBJ Connections’ clientele comes from a variety of sources. Holly indicated that word of mouth has been incredibly important, but community partnerships and referrals from insurance companies are as valuable as it gets. As a non-profit entity, there’s little budget for traditional marketing channels. So they do what they can online, like a fantastic website and periodic electronic newsletter, and they’re active on Facebook, from which they do get referrals. You can even keep up with client favorite, Rocky the Horse.

Recently, PBJ has partnered with The Ohio State University on an ongoing research project, providing intervention services for the study while OSU collects the data. Multiple research papers will be published as the project moves forward. With Holly and Erica’s background with Ohio State (Holly and Erica both hold degrees from the school – Holly with her Masters in Social Work and Erica with her BS in Agriculture), connections through other community partners, and the positive reputation of PBJ Connections, the partnership with OSU was a natural fit.

The amount of additional programs offered by PBJ Connections is staggering. The CONNECT Program provides Equine-assisted Psychotherapy for youth ages 6-18 and their families as well as adult sessions. The A PONY Program partners with school systems and serves at-risk and high-risk students in ten week sessions. Family Coaching offers six week sessions for the entire family, covering communication skills, coping strategies, problem solving, and more. ON MISSION partners horses with veterans and is free to Franklin County Veterans struggling with substance use through the Access to Recovery Grant. There group sessions for youth in the PEERS program, offering group sessions on a quarterly basis, and Summer Group sessions.

The aforementioned partnership with Ohio State is not the only instance of their working relationship; they also partner with them in the James Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Survivorship Program, offering family equine therapy sessions. And as if that’s not enough, there is the PBJ@WORK program, which PBJ Connections offers “a rich set of corporate leadership and teamwork options that are suitable for work and social teams of all sizes.”

While the EAGALA model of therapy that PBJ Connections follows is non-riding, they commonly co-refer clients looking to local therapeutic riding programs if that is the appropriate fit.

Even with all of this going on, they’re still in the midst of putting the finishing touches on their biggest event of the year – the annual “Helping Horses Help Kids” Charity Event, which celebrates “the many Great Pairings of PBJ Connections and our community.” This year’s event is a special one, as it’s the tenth annual edition, and will again feature a huge silent auction featuring some exclusive one of a kind items and experiences. The event is open to the public and will be held on Thursday, September 21, from 6pm-9pm at The Annunciation Banquet and Conference Center at The Greek Orthodox Cathedral at 555 N. High St. in Columbus. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are still available, so check out the website for more information.

Holly said her passion for her work is rooted in her own upbringing. “I was one of two children who grew up in a good home. We had horses, but my family worked really hard to make that happen. My father insured that we knew what we had and that we appreciated it, and he’s convinced that’s what kept me out of trouble. And I just wanted to share that passion and responsibility and that’s kind of how this came to be,” she said.

To learn more about many of the topics discussed, please view the list of links below. Additionally, PBJ Connections is always looking for passionate folks to join their loyal team of volunteers. They can be contacted at 740.924.7543 or via email at info@pbjconnections.org.

We understand that being a small business owner is tough. That’s why we plan to spotlight a different business each month to help you learn about unique businesses in your own back yard.

The menu at Healthy Fix Nutrition Club is vast but the staff will happily help you find a delicious, healthy fix you will love.

Brothers Greg and Collin White held their grand opening of Healthy Fix Nutrition Club on August 15 and word has quickly been spreading about the little juice and smoothie bar on Corylus Drive. However, as the first of its kind in the Pataskala area, Healthy Fix aims to be much more than just a “juice and smoothie bar.”

The Nutrition Club is a community-based concept that aims to cultivate healthy living by developing proper nutrition and providing personal, individual support for those seeking personal improvement and an overall sense of well-being. Visitors leave feeling energized and refreshed from the unique combination of quick and easy low-calorie/high-nutrient teas and shakes and free evaluations, coaching and support

The “Frappula” is a Halloween-themed creation.

When walking into Healthy Fix for the first time, you immediately see the juice bar and an overwhelming menu full of options for breakfast, lunch or an anytime pick-me-up. Fear not, though, as the personable staff is there to quickly learn your name (if they don’t already know it) and guide you in the right direction, helping you get the delicious healthy fix you seek.Several tea flavors and well over fifty shake flavor options come from seven main categories: Vanilla, Café Latte, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate, Dulce Leche, Pina Colada, and Wild Berry. If you’re brave, you can even create your own flavor combo!

The storefront features a lounge, juice bar and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere perfect for a lunch break or for watching your favorite team on one of their big TVs. They even have Sunday NFL ticket for all of the football die-hards and welcome fans of any sport to come on in. Last week they housed a viewing party for a group of Columbus Crew fans.

Collin White, Kelci Rasmussen and Greg White are pictured.

What’s in the future for Healthy Fix? The plan is to expand on the Nutrition Club concept by expanding services and physical space in Pataskala. Greg and Collin are currently seeking space in which to hold free fit clubs and spa parties. Collin currently leads workouts at other locations in Muskingum County and can’t wait to get this aspect of their business model going. “This is more than just a juice and smoothie bar and we want to be able to provide more for our customers,” he explained.

So if you’re looking for a little improvement this winter or looking for an alternative to the same old thing, visit Healthy Fix Nutrition Club at 720 Corylus Drive, Pataskala. Find them on Facebook or call Greg at 740.819.7389 or Collin at 740.704.3770. Take advantage of their free fitness evaluations, free personalized health plans and free coaching and support. You can also stay motivated by participating in one of their weight-loss challenges. And after you visit, feel free to stop in and say hello to our staff at the branch of the Friendly Bremen Banking Center which is located nearly next door!